The issue of stationing US military bases in Azerbaijan came into spotlight after US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld´s one-day visit to Azerbaijan at mid-August. The US official´s talks with the government of Azerbaijan have triggered heated discussions on the issue by the Azeri public and mass media and sparked concerns of the Russian Federation and Iran. Media around the world, including the USA, have released reports saying that the US intends to deploy forces in Azerbaijan. US President George W Bush has unveiled plans for the shake-up of US forces around the world. 60,000-70,000 troops will be redeployed from Europe and Asia in the coming years. (22 August 2004)

Bush’s strategy on deployment of US troops

Most will return to the US where they will focus on new threats, Bush said. He did not disclose any details but White House officials say that some US troops will be moved to Eastern Europe, while others will stay in the US available for deployments overseas. Bush said the US would deploy “agile and more flexible forces” to face the challenges of the future. About 100,000 US troops are currently stationed in Western Europe, mainly in Germany, and about 80,000 in the Far East. Pentagon officials say that two heavy army divisions will be pulled out of Germany, a country with the biggest American overseas contingent outside Iraq. Some political observers say that since the USA currently faces a security threat not from the Soviet Union but from Islamic terrorists and “hot spots” around the world, the US has therefore set forth an objective to promptly relocate its forces to another region, if necessary. This plan “will broaden our capabilities to withstand outside threats, help us protect America and relieve the burden for our servicemen and their family members”, The New York Times quoted a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov, said Washington envisions large-scale redeployment of US forces “closer to Russia´s borders”. He said some new bases will have a small American presence but can be expanded rapidly in a crisis.

US troops in Azerbaijan?

General Charles Wald, Deputy Commander of the U.S. European Command Headquarters, told Defense News newspaper that the US command in Europe plans to expand its presence in Africa and the Caspian region. Among the countries that could host US troops he cited Azerbaijan, Uganda and San Tome and Principe. He said the US troops stationed in Azerbaijan will patrol and secure the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. During his visit to Azerbaijan Wald said that most of oil and gas is delivered to Western Europe, and, therefore, securing these routes meets the interests of the USA and NATO. During Rumsfeld´s visit to Baku the parties agreed on the issue in principle. Besides, all provisions of the individual cooperation agreement between Azerbaijan and NATO will be finalized. The agreement is expected to become a transition link for Azerbaijan in receiving the candidacy status for NATO membership. Moreover, the USA is interested in upgrading and renovating military airports in Azerbaijan in order to station its rapidly-deployed forces. At present, these airports are already capable of receiving such heavy cargo aircraft as “Ruslan”. General Wald told a press conference in Baku in February that the USA was not planning to station bases in Azerbaijan.

“I want to put an end to rumors. We do not intend to station permanent or temporary bases in Azerbaijan. However, we are cooperating with Azerbaijan on some strategic issues, same as with the Russian Federation. These are war on terrorism and fighting weapons of mass destruction. Within these activities, the USA is ready to collaborate with Azerbaijan in exchanging experience, temporary stationing of US mobile forces in Azerbaijan, and, finally, training Azerbaijani servicemen, just what we have done in Georgia”, he said. Touching upon the stationing of US mobile forces in Azerbaijan, Wald pointed out the importance of “picking the right term”. “These are not military bases. This could be a temporary step as part of coordinating efforts in fighting global terrorism”, Wald said. He noted that talks were underway with the government of Azerbaijan on these issues. Wald also said that the USA plans to conduct joint training sessions in Azerbaijan aimed at combating extremism and weapons of mass destruction. “As part of strategic cooperation we intend to conduct join training sessions shortly with frontier guards, ground troops and the navy of Azerbaijan”, the US General said. The USA also attaches great importance to tapping, securing and transporting Caspian energy resources. As part of these efforts, the USA and Azerbaijan conducted joint training sessions in August 2003 and early this year aimed at securing offshore oil fields. “The US also intends to participate in the Cooperative Best Effort training in Azerbaijan this fall under the NATO Partnership for Peace program to be attended by delegations from 17 countries, Wald said. US troops apparently plan to thoroughly inspect the airports located in Kurdamir, the Nasosny and Gala settlements. This will be done in an effort to put the issue of stationing US military bases in Azerbaijan on discussion by the two countries´ governments. The US side also intends to renovate navigation equipment at the airports and create favorable conditions for further stationing of its mobile forces. A reliable source said that a special town has been built in Nasosny settlement for the purpose. Another issue involved is the Gabala radar station. Baku and Moscow have signed an agreement on the matter. The issue should not be considered apart from other geopolitical and military problems currently under consideration by Baku and Moscow. Azerbaijan may accept Moscow´s conditions with regard to the Gabala radar station in exchange for
Moscow´s accepting the possibility of stationing NATO bases in Azerbaijan. The recently-adopted Law on national security which bans stationing of foreign servicemen in Azerbaijan is not likely to be an obstacle for the stationing of US soldiers in the country, as any law can be sidestepped, as is the case with the Gabala station.

the Russian Federation Warns U.S. on Deploying Military Bases In Baltic States and Caucasus

Moscow hopes Washington is not going to deploy its military bases in Baltic states and Caucasus, in the framework of US plans of on redeployment forces from Europe, Turan news agency reported on Wednesday.
Turan – According to the statement of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), American side informed preliminarily Moscow about such plans due to “increasing threat of international terrorism” and necessity of approaching of U.S. armed forces to sources of possible threats.

the Russian Federation accentuates U.S. attention that “any plans are to correspond completely to obligations on restriction of arms and armed forces. the Russian Federation takes into account assurance of U.S. representatives that American bases would not be located in Baltic States and Caucasus. As for bases, deployed in Central Asia, Moscow hopes, they “will be removed on completion of counter-terrorist operations in Afghanistan,” statement futher reads.